The things we do for love
by Oscarfudgie
Summary: This is just a one parter short story about Ella's views of love and her relationship with Char it's fluff and food for thought I suppose. I just saw the movie and had to write it! Hope you enjoy and please R&R. I have never read the book.


Ella had always wondered what she would do for love. When she was a little girl her mother would read her sweeping tales of love at sea or during war or other times when showing someone you loved them was not by kissing them or a secret smile but by risking their lives or giving them up entirely for the wellbeing of their true love. It was romantic and tragic and Ella asked her mother if she'd die for her father.

Her mother would smile and say that he was too simple and kind to be caught up in anything that involved choosing between life and death, he couldn't even fold his clothes properly let alone organise himself to do something daring that would involving her rescuing him or dying for him. He was safe and that's what she loved but to Ella that wasn't true love.

True love was when you would move heaven and earth to make the other person happy, you would be daring and noble and always think of them before all others, you'd be passionate, risky and have the world at your feet for a short time at least before like all bright stars you burn out and one of you has to sacrifice everything for the other and you pine for them for the rest of your life.

True love was a naive fairytale to Ella but she believed it could exist although not entirely in every relationship and she strived to find it in her own someday. She would risk it all if she ever found love she was sure.

Then she met Char.

It wasn't love at first sight (a sure sign of true love she believed), he didn't serenade her with poetry or wit (in fact at first he was very arrogant) and the only thing that made her sure there was a chance for true love was when she felt the sparks igniting when they kissed. It was a kiss that was glamorised on the pages of her books and she felt sure then that he was 'the one'.

He made her feel safe with his kind manner and disarming smile and she hadn't ever been as happy as she was when she was in his presence even if they were bickering and especially if they were flirting.

When she found out due to her curse that she had no choice other than to kill him at midnight she felt the recipe for true love come sickeningly into play.

One of them would die, and she'd pine for him for the rest of her life.

It was definitely like one of her books and she could see the pages in her mind already written with the ending penned out in horrifying view. She was helpless and she didn't want true love anymore she wanted Char to not be able to fold his clothes and for her to be safe with him again.

True love wasn't what she wanted at all, she'd settle for real love that meant keeping her future husband around for as long as she could.

She thought of killing herself that night, if she was dead she couldn't kill him but she knew he'd fall prey to his uncle's scheming sooner or later and only she knew of his true intentions.

She'd give up her life for Char she knew that then, she'd do anything for love but her curse and the knowledge she had didn't afford her such a luxury.

Then she broke her curse, and after fighting side by side against Char's uncle and then dancing side by side at his coronation and then their marriage Ella finally had her happy ending.

Love had broken her curse but it wasn't true love at all, it was a selfish love that meant Ella would do whatever it took to keep Char with her and it was real and that's the best kind there is. It wasn't as perfect as in the pages of her books but she wasn't living in fairytales anymore she was living with someone of flesh and blood who was ready to move heaven and earth for her if she asked him, but she never would.

She was just happy folding his clothes when unsurprisingly after years of being spoiled he had no concept of it himself.

She was happy knowing she wouldn't have passion everyday, she would also have pain and gnawing self doubt but real people are flawed no matter how strong their love so Ella thought true love was rather overrated.

Having any love at all was a blessing, it what her mother knew and never took for granted and Ella would never do so again.

So what would did Ella do because of love?

When Char got too comfortable living a luxurious life in the palace, Ella would take him to the slums to witness those who were not so fortunate. Ella would encourage him to act.

Ella would smile at him and kiss him when he doubted his abilities as king and help him with policies and conferences when she well into her first pregnancy and should be resting.

She would sing to him when he was agitated and let him read to her tales of sweeping love at sea or in war even though they held no magic for her anymore and told him she loved him every night.

Showing someone you love them was just as epic by doing the little things as well as the big things.

Ella of Frell had known magic all her life but none so brilliant and bewitching as the one that Char had cast upon her.


End file.
